National contractor Wates Construction has completed works at Nottingham College City Hub, a landmark new campus for the College providing space for 2,000 students and 200 staff, offering local people a state-of-the-art learning experience and future employment opportunities.
The campus will welcome students and be fully operational from January, but this week marks the handover of the £58.5 million building from Wates to the College. It complements the College’s existing campus portfolio and forms part of a Council-run scheme to regenerate this area and boost the city’s economy.
Nottingham College City Hub is the first project completed in the region by Wates through Major Works UK, part of the Scape National Construction framework, and is the result of a partnership between Nottingham College, Nottingham City Council and the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
The new campus will offer a broad curriculum for the College including performance, media and business, complete with amenities for the community to enjoy including a restaurant, café and performing arts centre.
Throughout the build contractor Wates Construction has created a host of employment and training opportunities of young people as well as supporting the city’s business and charitable organisations.
Since starting work onsite in mid-2018, Wates has worked with 10 social enterprises, including Recycling Lives, Nuneaton Signs Ltd and Radiant Cleaners Ltd, and ensured that 60 per cent of project budget was spent within 40 miles of the site. 60 per cent of the supply chain were local SMEs and 143 new jobs have been created.
John Carlin, Wates Construction Midlands MD added that the project had brought about a huge amount of learning and development opportunities for young people in the area:
“This has been such a memorable project for us in large part due to the positive impact it’s left on the city’s stars of tomorrow. We’ve been proud to provide permanent jobs to four school leavers, including two graduates from Nottingham College, created 29 apprenticeships and carried out 65 educational visits, as well as delivering 18 lectures on the Built Environment at the College itself.
“Thanks to the hard work of Project Director Adam Cannon and his team we’re thrilled with the end result and can’t want to see students experience the new campus in the New Year.”
Mark Robinson, chief executive at Nottingham-headquartered public sector procurement authority Scape Group, said: “Further Education has a huge role to play in the future economic resilience of the UK’s, not just in terms of developing skills where we need them but also in sustained and vital infrastructure investment.
“Further Education is a key focus for government spending this year, and many colleges will be able to learn from the outstanding example set by Nottingham College City Hub. With the right partners involved, colleges can seize the opportunity to rapidly deliver state-of-the-art learning environments for the future.”
Councillor David Mellen, Leader of Nottingham City Council, said: “It was a little over a year ago I visited the City Hub for its topping out ceremony, and given the constraints contractors have worked under during the COVID pandemic, to deliver it in good time is an impressive achievement.
“We are very pleased to see the new City Hub handed over, one of the first buildings in the Southside area to begin its transformation from brownfield site to a fantastic new venue for Nottingham’s students. I’m particularly pleased that it is sympathetic to the surrounding area while adding a modern façade to the cityscape.
“I would like to thank Wates construction for being so considerate to our residents on Cliff Road and the Lace Market in their construction of the City Hub and our partners at Nottingham College. Once the college is able to welcome new students safely, I have no doubt they will enjoy learning in such an excellent facility.”
Sajeeda Rose, D2N2 LEP Chief Executive, said: "We are delighted to see the Nottingham City Hub is one step closer to welcoming students through its doors. D2N2 is proud to have invested £30million of Local Growth Funding into the construction of this landmark building.
“The Nottingham City Hub will change the face of skills provision in our area, playing a key part in the pathway towards rebuilding and growing our economy by creating career paths and providing our businesses with the talent they need to thrive and grow."